The present invention relates to useful immunosuppressive-activity potentiating compositions. In more particular, this invention is concerned with immunosuppressive-activity potentiating compositions which comprise a phosphoric acid diester compound of ascorbic acid with tocopherol or its pharmacologically acceptable salt.
The transplantation surgery is one of the rapidly developed medical techniques. This is because tremendous efforts have been made in the development of immunosuppressive drugs, progress in the surgical procedures and promotion of counter-measures against infection to thereby improve the treatment performances, and the transplantation surgery surpassed the experimental stage and has nowadays turned into an established treatment technique in common use.
In order to secure the prevention of organ graft rejection after the transplantation surgery, however, it in fact is necessary and indispensable to give patients immunosuppressive drugs at increased doses, as has actually been the case with human organ transplantation surgeries.
In addition, the immunosuppressive compositions are administered to patients in the treatment of autoimmune disorders.
The immunosuppressive drugs, especially cyclosporine A and the like, which are used in the human organ transplantation and treatment of autoimmune disorders, cause the incidence of such serious side effects as nephrotic disturbances, increase in blood pressure, rhabdomyolysis, hemolytic uremia syndrome and dysbolism, and have therefore been deemed quite controversial from a clinical point of view. As a result that decreases in their doses have been considered of utmost importance.
In permitting the immunosuppressive drugs to separate their efficacy from side effects, it is necessary to avoid the overdose of such drugs exhibiting immunosuppressive activity, while it is thought of significance to search for a supplementary or prosthetic molecule which could show immunosuppressive-activity potentiating property as well as enhanced degrees of safety and efficacy.
In view of the status quo that there has been so far available no drug which can act as an immunosuppression potentiating, prosthetic molecule, a strong demand has been existing for the development of an efficient immunosuppressive-activity potentiating composition.